Apparatus for vapor phase treatment of articles



May 26, 1970 R. P. NIRENBERG APPARATUS FOR VAPOR PHASE TREATMENT OFARTICLES Filed Dec. 29, 1967 INVENTOR floss-:27 E zvneauaaes N MN UnitedStates Patent O 3,513,669 APPARATUS FOR VAPOR PHASE TREATMENT OFARTICLES Robert P. Nirenberg, New York, N.Y., assiguor to DHJIndustries, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec.29, 1967, Ser. No. 694,723 Int. Cl. D06c J/ US Cl. 68-5 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for the treatment of articles withreagents in the vapor phase in one or more separate stages utilizing achamber within which said articles are disposed and means forcontrolling the atmosphere within said chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various techniques by which durable pressarticles such as garments or fabrics can be obtained are defined intechnical literature and known in the textile industry. Apparatus bywhich such durable press results may be obtained both at the textilefinishing plant level, using wet phase techniques, and the apparelmanufacturers level, using various special presses and ovens, are knownand described.

Wet processing durable press techniques involve immersing fabric in awater soluble or solvent solution containing suitable cross-linkingagents, catalysts, modifiers, etc., then the treated fabric is cured,perhaps washed, and garments made therefrom. Alternately such fabric maybe impregnated with reagents, dried (uncured), made into garments, thenthe resulting. garments placed in ovens where the fabric in garment formis cured, merely by the proper exposure in a high temperatureenvironment. The equipment and apparatus to accomplish these techniquesare well known and commercially available.

At present the rapidly developing technology in the durable press fieldindicates a significant departure from wet phase to vapor phasetechnology. Although apparatus has been developed and used involving thevapor phase concept of treating textiles and garments, none of these hasembodied a satisfactory commercial application.

The concept of vapor phase does not require wet application ofcross-linking agent and/ or catalyst. Untreated fabrics are made intogarments and placed into the vapor phase reactor. Articles so treatedcan be produced at high production rates and have good wrinkleresistance and excellent crease retention with a minimum of chemicalquantity and can be produced in an extremely short time 7 cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION THE DRAWING The drawing is a diagrammaticelevation view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with thisinvention with articles to be treated shown supported therein and thefront of the chamber cut away.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The walls from which the top,bottom and sides of the treating chamber are formed are of heatinsulation material. An entrance opening 11 is formed in one of thechamber sides through which a truck or other conveying device may bemoved for introducing articles into the chamber. A door 12 or othersuitable movable gas-tight closure is provided.

Heating element 13 which can be steam coils, electrical elements,infra-red lamps, quartz lamps or other suitable heat exchange devicespowered by generator 14 which is controlled by sensing devices 15a and15b are included in or on the chamber walls in order to heat or cool theinterior of the chamber in order to attain temperature regulation duringtreatment of articles within the chamber.

The treating chamber is provided with a chemical inlet at nozzle 16 bywhich chemicals within external reservoir 17 are introduced into thechamber in the vicinity of centrifugal blower 18 through pump 19 andvalve 20.

The blower 18 contains a plurality of fan blades and the blower motor 21is preferably of the variable speed type. The fan blades are heated andtemperature controlled so that liquid emitted from nozzle 16 andstriking the blades will be instantly volatilized and blown upwardly inthe direction of the arrows in the drawing under control of the motor21.

In the preferred embodiment the blades are heated but need not be incertain instances where the heat from heating element 13 is sufficientto preheat the nozzle and the fan blades.

The reservoir 17 containing the chemicals in liquid form is thermallyinsulated with heat exchange elements or other temperature controls (notshown) for regulating the temperature of the liquid therein. This liquidmixture may comprise a volatile fiber cross-linking agent: a volatilecellulose swelling agent, a volatile activator for the cross-linkingagent, and water. Further, it may contain one or more solvents, across-linking catalyst and other chemicals for the vapor phase process.

The passage of liquid from reservoir 17 is controlled by pump 19 andvalve 20. The ratio of liquid to gas within reservoir 17 may becontrolled, if desired, by heating the reservoir to volatilizecomponents of the mixture within while leaving the remaining compoundsin a liquid state. The liquid, after passing through valve 20, isconducted through piping to nozzle 16 which is adjustable to control theparticle size ejected. The chemical is ejected from the nozzle in sprayform or in the shape of fog. The preferred configuration of the sprayleaving nozzle 16 is circular or elliptical.

As the gases pass the heating elements 13 they continue to rise to thetop of the chamber 10 traveling parallel to the top of the chamber andthrough a series of baflles or adjustable louvres 21' downward throughthe chamber, reacting with the fabric of articles such as garments 22and 23, suspended on garment rack 24. The gases continue to passdownward until they reach the bottom of the chamber, traveling parallelwith the bottom wall of the chamber in the direction of the arrows untilforced through adjustable louvres 17 behind nozzle 16 where the gas isreintroduced into blower 18.

In the event the volatilized gases of the liquid sprayed into blower 18build up a positive pressure within chamber 10, such pressure variationscan be adjusted by use of a condenser coil 26 to cause condensation ofgas which condensate can return into the system through pipe 26. A vent26" is provided to allow gas to escape in a controlled manner. As analternate form a spill valve and vent can be utilized.

After the cycle has been completed, exhaust fan 27 driven by motor 28 inexhaust vent 29 is activated to remove the gases from the chamber. Uponactuation of fan 27 pump 19 is inactivated. Doors or vents can beprovided in the walls of the .chamber so that a clean and rapidevacuation of the gases can be accomplished.

It is contemplated to control the length of cycle by suitable timingdevices regulating the blower fan 18 and exhaust fan 27, as well ascontrols on pump 19 and valve 20. For example, it is possible to pass 10pounds of liquid through nozzle 16 at the rate of l-pound per minute fora ten minute cycle or pounds per minute for two minutes of a ten minutecycle.

The support or garment rack 24 within the chamber may be of varioustypes. It may comprise a horizontal bar from which garments are hung,supported by a vertical rod and stand; In the drawing herein this rackis on wheels permitting a load-of suspended garments to be rolled in andout of the chamber without any difficulty.

It is further contemplated that the construction materials for theentire unit can vary widely depending upon the size and number ofgarments to be treated and on the specific vapor mixture to be used. Forexample, small laboratory reactors can be built of glass parts ortransparent plastic. Industrial units for treating groups of garmentsmay be built of various coated or uncoated metals, or alloys, plastics,etc. It is also contemplated that the position of the various inlet andoutlet pipes, fans, blowers, air jets, nozzles, doors, vents, pumps,traps, valves, and others can be varied widely depending on the overallshape and size of the apparatus, the type of articles to be treated andon the volatile mixtures to be used.

It is further contemplated that a multiplicity of nozzles 16 may beemployed, each with its own separate source of mixture, containers,pumps, and valves. In addition, a multiplicity of nozzles 16 can be fedfrom a distributing manifold through which components of mixtures may befed sequentially.

In lieu of or in conjunction with an air wash, after the garments havebeen treated for a sufficient time, a gas wash can be employed. This isaccomplished by bypassing neutralizing liquids through the same oradditional system to introduce the neutralizing liquid at fan 18. Suchneutralizing liquids will volatilize or vaporize on contact with theheated fan blades which will circulate such gases or vapors within thechamber at the required temperature and time period, to substantiallyremove any portion of volatile residue of the treating gases present inthe garments.

Because of its availability, air is advantageously used as the carriergas in the treatingchamber. However, any other normally gaseous materialwhich would be unreactive with the active treating vapors underconditions prevailing in the treating chamber and other apparatuselements may be used as the carrier gas.

The rate of circulation of the volatilized gases passing over andthrough the surfaces of the articles being treated may vary betweenabout one to 500 yards per minute. This depends upon the size of thechamber, the number of articles within the chamber, the spacing of thearticles, the thickness and the weight of the fabrics from which thearticles are made, and related factors.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the treatment of articles with reagents in the vaporphase including in combination a gas retaining treatment chamber, aliquid inlet in said chamber, a liquid dispersing nozzle of said liquidinlet, a rotary blower within. said chamber adjacent and opposite saidliquid dispersing nozzle, temperature control means for controlling thetemperature of the blades of said blower, said nozzle directing liquidinto said blower whereby liquid is converted to gas, a gas outlet ofsaid chamber, a gas withdrawing fan and vent adjacent said gas outlet,and support means within said chamber upon which said articles maybepositioned in spaced apart relationship.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which battle and louvremeans are provided within said chamber to direct the flow of gas.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which an entrance openingis provided in a side of said chamber equipped with a movable gas tightclosure.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which means are providedto control the temperature of gas in said chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,513 7/1925 Morden 8-14923,049,903 8/1962 Sussman 685 3,166,923 1/1965 Zacks 68-5 3,257,7396/1966 Wentz 8l49.2X

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner

